


He's A Good Kid

by PhoenixWillRise



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Gen, M/M, Mild Smut, backstory of Carlos Reyes, nosey parents, rapunzel reference
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:26:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23424715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixWillRise/pseuds/PhoenixWillRise
Summary: Owen Strand has seen how happy his son has been since meeting Carlos. He only wishes he knew a little more about the young police officer. He figures asking the folks around Austin will help him in getting to know Officer Reyes.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes & Owen Strand, Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Michelle Blake & Carlos Reyes
Comments: 20
Kudos: 359





	He's A Good Kid

Captain Owen Strand couldn’t help notice the lovey-dovey eyes his son starred with after the police officer had left. He noticed how the two seemed to be in their own world, as they walked together, hand in hand, Carlos making TK giggle, _giggle,_ with whatever he would whisper in his ear. The young police officer had not only dropped off his son before his shift, but had walked him inside the station. 

And some said that chivalry was dead.

He lifted an arm in greeting as the police officer spotted him and gave him a wave of his own before heading to his car. He could hear the friendly teasing coming from the crew as a blushing TK stayed by the entrance to wave one last time at his boyfriend.

“Aw they’re so sweet!”

“When’s the wedding kid?!”

“Shut it, Judd. Just for that you’re not getting leftovers from our dinner last night.”

It was silent.

“Did Carlos cook?”

A smug, “yep”. He popped the ‘p’.

Judd whispered, “Damn it.”

Everyone knew that Carlos was an insanely talented cook.They figured if they had Paul and Carlos fix a meal together that they would all go into a major food coma from all the delicious dishes. 

They went about their day. Going on some surprisingly mild emergency calls. It was a relatively easy day and Owen despite the slow pace was ready to go home. He caught TK finishing his phone call, from the huge smile on the young man’s face he already knew who it was on the other line.

“Hey kid ready to go home?”

Owen was rolling his eyes the second he saw the guilty look on TK’s face.

Tk smiled apologetically,“Sorry dad but Carlos was able to get out earlier today and well we thought we’d try the new Mediterranean restaurant near his place.” 

The captain shook waved his apology away, a fond smile on his face,“Alright kid should I wait up for you?”

Mateo and Marjan just happened to be walking by, they failed in stopping their burst of laughter at the question.

“Oh does little TK have a curfew?”

Marjan nudged Mateo in the rib as she fell in another fit of giggles. 

He glared at them before rounding on his dad with a slightly whining tone,“Dad! Come on!

Owen clapped him on the shoulder with a wide grin,”Have a great night son. Say hello to Reyes for me.”

***

He was happy with his son’s boyfriend. His son deserved to be with someone who truly cared for him. Respected him. 

Owen wanted to know more about the boy in his son’s life. Well the man that made his son swoon whenever he called or walked with him to the door after dropping him off at home. 

He was a gentleman. Professional at his job. And an excellent cook from what he’d heard from his son’s praises of the young police officer’s culinary skills. 

But he didn't know that much about Carlos Reyes. The few times he’d suggested to TK about having a little dinner at their place, the young firefighter had lit up. But fate had other plans, their schedules would collide and then the plans would fall apart. 

He didn’t want to sound like he was being over protective or prying into his son’s love life, so asking the young man questions about his new beau was not an option. 

He reasoned with himself that he would just have to ask those who knew the young man. Sounded easy enough.

Which turned out to be much harder than he'd imagined. Apparently, he was still sort of a newcomer to Austin and some folk didn't feel comfortable talking about their people behind their backs.

He'd gotten some answers despite the suspicious looks.

“Look Captain, he's a good kid. Focused, smart, and quick as a whip.”

The woman at the coffee shop (yes he had a coffee machine but he enjoyed getting an overpriced latte when he was on the road) gushed about the police officer as she refilled his cup.

“He is so sweet, really a gentleman. So rare to see people like him nowadays.”

When he asked Michelle during lunch, she'd very bluntly said,“That boy is an angel from above. I trust that man with my life. If anyone ever hurt or threatened to harm him I would drop kick that son of a bitch.”

He believed her.

At his shocked and slightly terrified face, Michelle offered a sweet smile as she reassured him, “Oh I meant like the dirtbags he deals with. Not your son. He’s sweet as a peach. He has that grump wrapped around his little finger.”

“Um thank you.”

***

Austin was a small town. But it was really small if people were mainly talking about Captain Strand asking information about a certain young police officer.

One day he runs into Officer Reyes' captain waiting patiently in his office.

“Captain Ronalds, what a surprise! What brings you here?”

“Well I wanted to first see in person the new fire station. Feels like a piece of New York is right here in Austin, Texas.”

“Thank you, sir.”

He sighed,“Look I’ve heard you’ve been asking around about Reyes. And I’m kinda curious why you want to know more about one of my best cops.”

Owen reassured quickly,“It's nothing bad I promise.”

“That still doesn’t answer the question.”

“I was just asking because my boy is -”, Owen abruptly shut his mouth. Maybe he did poke his nose where it did not belong.

Owen wasn’t sure if Carlos was out to the department and didn’t want to risk outing the police officer by telling him he knew Carlos because of his relationship with his son. But Captain Ronalds must have read his mind.

He looked at him closely, taking in the name on his name plate,“Strand? You’re TK’s dad right?”

“Yea that’s my boy, I’m a little scared to hear how you know him. Hasn’t made recurring appearances here has he?”

Captain Ronalds laughs, “Nothing serious. But I have seen them together during Carlos' lunch breaks. Had to knock on the window to break them up during a passionate embrace I guess you could say, but simply because it was bordering somewhere along the lines of PG-13. If you catch my drift.”

Owen snorted in response. Very well aware of how those two could get swept away in their own world.

Owen was happy to hear about the open-mindedness and acceptance from the older man from his comment. He knew from his own run-ins how those two would get when locked together in a heated moment. 

One instance that stood out was when he had a tv marathon about some syfy show just so he could get the image of his son straddling a half-naked Carlos on TK’s bed out of his head. Carlos had been reaching for a condom when Owen opened the door. 

Awkward didn’t begin to cover it.

Carlos had been all red faced about it and had apologized profusely until TK pushed him outside, the shorter man just as flushed. But probably for other reasons. And when that thought came up he watched 5 more episodes just to get _that_ image out of his head. 

“He’s a good kid, Captain Strand. I've known him since he was this little.”

“Really? A family friend?”

“Well you see I met Carlos when he was eight, his parent’s restaurant was hit with a robbery by some punk with a gun. His father wasn’t there, he was working on a big rig and his mom had stayed to manage the place. A son of bitch came in with guns and threatened to kill her and the patrons if she didn’t give the money. Carlos was there hiding behind the counter.”

Owen stared at him with his mouth open, he couldn’t imagine how traumatizing the whole ordeal must have been for the boy.

“Bravest kid ever. I would have been bawling but oh no that kid got a pan from the kitchen and when the guy was taking the money from the safe, Carlos came up behind him and swung it. I mean he knocked this guy out. When he saw what he had done, he started crying. Mom thought he’d gotten hurt but he was crying because he thought he was going to go to jail for hurting the bastard.”

“I was called onto the scene and when I heard the story I had to go in and meet this boy. And shake his hand because he was protecting not just his mom but all these people. It could have ended way, way worse.” 

Captain Ronalds chuckled at the memory, “He kept hiding behind his mama’s skirt when I tried to talk to him. He was crying, ‘no me llevas!”

“I felt so bad for making him upset that I told him:‘Why would I arrest a hero? You saved all these people and your mom. That makes you the bravest kid in the world'.”

Owen smiled at the story, feeling some guilt form in his belly for some reason.

“Got a smile from him after that. And I let him turn on the police lights just to calm him down.”

He sits back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other as Owen pulls out a bottles of water from a mini fridge in his office.

“Years pass by and we get some new cadets applying for APD. Who comes in? Carlos Reyes. I remembered him right off the bat."

He gratefully accepted the water bottle as Owen continued to listen. His opinion of the young man only getting higher and higher. 

“I said to him ‘okay kid you’re in but please don’t crack the perps with a cast iron on the head.’ And the rest is history. Kid has a great work ethic, respectful, and very sweet on your boy if I may say."

Owen sighed,“Thank you I- I kinda wish I had waited to hear that from Carlos himself. Maybe I was wrong in trying to figure out more about this young man. Should have just accepted how happy he has made my son but you gotta understand just how weary I am about my son. He hasn't had the best record on guys and-"

“It's none of my business but I would probably do the same.” Captain Ronalds sat up straight, “Actually I _have_ done the same. Yeah whenever my little girl was with a new beau.

“You want to keep your boy safe. I get that. But he’s a strong man and I think he can make his own decisions. We have to remember that they will fall and trust yourself that you have raised them strong enough to let them get back up on their own.”

***

The next morning, Owen answers the door to Carlos, standing in his civilian clothing.

“Good Morning Captain Strand.”

“Officer Reyes, what do I owe this pleasure? TK should be back in a bit. Went on a run but you are more than welcome to have some breakfast."

He led them both to the kitchen, gesturing to a seat by the bar for Officer Reyes to take.

"Thank you."

He has a twinkle of mischief in his eyes and a hint of a smile on his face but it still doesn’t warn Owen when he hears what Carlos says next. He almost spills the protein smoothie he’d been in the middle of making.

“I’ve heard you’ve been asking about me…”

Owen sighed as he set the blender aside,“I’m sorry about that kid. It was wrong and invasive of me to do that but...I have been so worried about TK since the move here especially with what happened with his boyfriend-”

_Ugh.. I really need to stop talking._

Once again he trails off, he really needs to stop oversharing. He wasn't sure just how much TK had told Carlos about his past.

Carlos nods,“Alex?”

The captain could have sworn the young man had said the name with a hidden disdain.

He blinks, standing straighter as he takes in the news.“He told you about him?”

“Little by little he has revealed what kind of person this Alex was and I just want you to understand that I get why you have been asking around. You want to know if I’m going to hurt your son. And though I would have liked to have a proper sit down with you I can still understand why you did it"

“You are something else, kid."

Carlos smiled,“You heard all the good things I’m sure. Because most people here are really kind. But let me tell you a little more. I’m not perfect. But for your son I will strive to be because he deserves that and more. So here it goes: I wanted to be a chef when I was a kid but after a certain situation I wanted to be a cop.”

Owen realizes what Carlos is doing as he continues to share some facts and tidbits about his life to the captain. 

“I have 2 sisters. I’m the youngest. They baby me even now as a 27 year old man. I used to get into fights when I was a kid. Grew out of it when I got the most stern talking to from my grandma and mother."

A new voice rang in the kitchen.

“He also snores like a bear and hogs the blankets. He thinks New York is overrated and would choose a donut over a bagel any time. Such a cop."

TK was putting his phone away, breathing a little heavy as he came over to where Carlos was sitting. Leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips. “Good morning handsome!”

Carlos, looking gobsmacked, barely reacted to the kiss as he took in TK in his tight, slightly short running shorts and bare, sweat covered chest. 

_Jesus Christ._

Owen chimed in,“The bagel thing may be a deal breaker. But he’s a keeper, TK.”

There was a familiar twinkle in his boy’s eyes as he reached over to take _his_ protein shake with a huge grin.

He stared at Carlos lovingly who couldn’t keep his eyes off TK’s flushed, dewy face.

“Don’t I know it.”

x.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
